Game apparatus.



L. A, MILLER. GAME APPARATUS. ATIO Patented June 20, 19.11.

LEWIS A. MILLER, 0F JERSEYVILLE, ILLINOIS.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1911.

Application filed April 22, 1910. Serial No. 557,002.

T 0 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, LEWIS A. MILLER, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Jerseyville, in the county of Jersey and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to game apparatus designed more particularly for parlor use and has for an objectto provide a simple and amusing game that will depend entirely upon chance rather than upon any skill of the player.

The game includes a base provided with pockets which receive pills or balls precipitated from a central tower supported upon the base, the pockets being of various configurations and provided with distinguishing marks of varied valuations as in parlor games as hitherto constructed, but instead of the base being rotatable and the balls dropping into the particular pocket which at that particular moment reglsters with the outlet of the tower, the base is stationary and the balls ricochet from a renitent protuberance at the outlet of the tower into the pockets.

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of the invent-ion has been shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the game apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the central portion of the base thereof.

Referring to this figure for a more detailed description of my invention, a base is shown having a substantially rectangular bottom 1 from the marginal edges of which extends upward the retaining rim 2. The marginal edges of the bottom are provided with rabbets 3 which form pockets at the base of the retaining rim 2. The pockets are of various configurations, the preferable forms being square pockets, as shown at 4, and round pockets, as shown at 5, a square pocket alternating with a round .pocket all around the marginal edge of the bottom, the square and round pockets being preferably equal in number, as clearly shown. The intermediate portion of the top face of-the bottom 1 is inclined upwardly or in other words is conical in contour.

Located upon the apex of the bottom wall 1 is a circular protuberance 6 having suitably secured in its top face a rubber or other renitent tip 7 which is suflicient in size to project about a quarter of an inch more or less above the protuberance.

A funnel tower 8 is mounted upon the bottom 1 with its duct or neck 9 registering with but spaced a considerable distance above the renitent tip 7. The tower may be mounted upon the base in any preferred manner, the pedestal here shown comprising a tripod 10, the spaced legs of which are connected at their upper ends by an angular ring 11 of suitable size to receive the neck of the funnel 8, and the lower ends of which are provided with laterally ext-ending feet which engage the bottom 1 and may be rigidly secured thereto, if desired, by screws or similar connectors.

Mounted upon the bottom 1 between the pockets 3 are spacing blocks 12 which are preferably formed of the general shape shown in the drawing and are provided with arcuate front faces, as shown at 13. Secured to the bottom adjacent the curved front ends of the spacing blocks 12 are pins 15 which divert the balls 16 from their normal paths.

Printed or otherwise formed on the inner wall of the retaining rim 2 are distinguishing marks 17 which are of varied valuation and are designed to denote the value of the particular pocket which they designate.

The game is played with a pair of the balls 16 which may be of any desired material, but are preferably formed of elastic or renitent material, such as ivory, rubber or the like, and are of different colors, one being colored black and the other white. Both balls are dropped into the mouth of the funnel at the same time and gravitating through the duct 9 strike against the renitent tip 7 and rebound therefrom toward the retaining rim 2 of the base. The flight of the balls is interrupted by the legs of the tripod 10 or by the retaining rim 2 of the base in case the flight of the ball is normal or within the confines of said rim. The halls may strike the tip 7 at such anangle as to be diverted laterally along the bottom of the base and hurled against the, pins 15, which latter may divert the balls back across the bottom or may cooperate with the rounded front ends of the spacing blocks 12 to direct the balls into the pockets.

Various methods of counting the score may be devised, one method being to add the sum total of the distinguishing marks designating the pockets in which the balls find lodgment until the winning number of points has been reached, a player losing his turn whenever the white ball alone rolls into any round pocket.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is thought the construction and operation of my invention will be easily understood without a more extended explanation, it being understood that various minor details may be made in the details of construction within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a game apparatus, a base having a retaining rim and a bottom having an in clined top face provided with a series of pockets at the base of the rim, spacing blocks betweenadjacent pockets having rounded front ends, a protuberance centrally located upon the bottom and having a rubber or.

similar renitent tip upon its top face, a funnel supported upon the bottom and having its duct registering with but spaced from the renitent tip whereby balls may be precipitated upon the tip and rebounding therefrom strike against the rounded portion of said spacing blocks and be directed thereby into the pockets. 7

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEWVIS A. MILLER. l/Vitnesses:

l/V. F. SHEPHARD, THOMAS l/VEDDING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

